Senega. Senega; the root of Polygala Senega; Liu. Syst., Dia-delphia octandria: a small plant growing in the United States of America.

Description. Root-stock, or knotty head with roots proceeding from it about the thickness of a quill, twisted and keeled. Bark yellowish brown, interior wood tasteless, inert.

Prop. & Comp. Taste sweetish, and acrid to the fauces; it contains a principle called senegin or polygalic acid, obtained as a white powder, with some tannin, pectin, gum, etc. The active part of the root is the cortex.

Off. Prep. Infusium Senegae. Infusion of Senega. (Senega, bruised, half an ounce; boiling distilled water, ten fluid ounces.)

Tinctura Senegae. Tincture of Senega. [Not officinal in U. S. P.] (Senega, bruised, two ounces and a half; proof spirit, twenty fluid ounces; prepared by maceration and percolation.)

[Decoctum Senegae. Decoction of Seneka; a troy ounce of seneka is boiled for fifteen minutes, strained and enough water added to make up a pint. Syrupus Senegae. Syrup Seneka. Seneka, in moderately fine powder, four troy ounces; sugar in coarse powder, fifteen troy ounces; diluted alcohol two pints. The Seneka is percolated with the alcohol, and the tincture is evaporated to half a pint, filtered, the sugar added and dissolved by the aid of heat. U. S.]

Therapeutics. Senega root is a stimulant to the mucous membranes and skin, acting especially on the bronchial tubes. It is chiefly employed in asthenic and chronic bronchitis; also in dysmenorrhea and albuminuria: often combined with sesqui-carbonate of ammonia, and other expectorants and diuretics.

Dose. Of powder 20 gr. to 60 gr.; of the infusium senegae, 1 oz. to 2 fl. oz.; of the tinctura senegae, 1/2 fl. drm. to 2 fl. drm. [Of the decoction 1 to 2 fl. oz., of syrup 1 to 3 fl. drm.]

Adulteration. Ginseng, or root of Panax quinquefolium; also Gillenia, detected by absence of the line running along the true senega root.

Krameria. Rhatany, the dried root of Krameria triandra; Lin. Syst., Tetrandria monogynia: growing in Peru and Chili.

Description. Generally a large root-stock about an inch in diameter, with long roots from one-sixth to half an inch thick proceeding from it. Externally, dark red or reddish brown; internally, paler red. The powder is red.

Prop. & Comp. Rhatany has no odour, but a sweetish astringent taste, tinging the saliva very red. It contains krameric acid, of which little is known, about 40 per cent. of tannin, and a red astringent matter. These are all soluble in water and alcohol.

Off. Prep. Extractum Krameriae. Extract of Rhatany. (Rhatany in coarse powder, one pound; distilled water, a gallon. Prepared by maceration, percolation, and subsequent evaporation.)

Infusum Krameriae. Infusion of Rhatany. (Rhatany, half an ounce; boiling distilled water, ten fluid ounces.) [Rhatany, in moderately coarse powder, a troy ounce. A pint of infusion is made by percolation with cold water. U. S.] [Rhatany, in moderately fine powder, six troy ounces; two pints of tincture are obtained by percolation with diluted alcohol. U. S.]

Tinctura Krameriae. Tincture of Rhatany. (Rhatany bruised, two ounces and a-half; proof spirit, one pint; prepared by maceration and percolation.) Rhatany is also contained in pulvis catechu compositus.

Therapeutics. A powerful astringent; may be used whenever tannin is indicated. The powder has had much repute as a dentifrice when the gums are bleeding or spongy. It may also be employed as a gargle or injection in relaxed sore throat, leucor-rhcea, and prolapsus ani, in the form of the infusion.

Dose. Of the powder, 20 gr. to 60 gr.; of extract krameriae, 2 gr. to 20 gr.; of inf. krameriae, 1 fl. oz. to 2 fl. oz.; of tinct. kraineriae, 1/3 fl. drm. to 1 1/2 fl. drm.